


That Aching in Your Chest is Love (And Yes, it Almost Always Hurts)

by emrys (livingshitpost)



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Child Death, Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Not Beta Read, Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Pacifist Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Parent Death, Past Character Death, Post-Canon, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Smoking, Suicidal Thoughts, Wakes & Funerals, d:bh? in my special interests? it's likely, possibly ooc??, rated teen for 1 (one) swear word, sorry for using foul cusses and swears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-06-01 20:37:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15151358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livingshitpost/pseuds/emrys
Summary: It's the day of Carl Manfred's funeral.





	That Aching in Your Chest is Love (And Yes, it Almost Always Hurts)

Markus's father is dead.

He isn't surprised; not exactly. He always knew it would happen eventually. He was seventy-five years old and wasn't getting any younger. But that doesn't make it any easier.

Markus's father is  _dead_.

 

Connor doesn't have much experience comforting people.

He's died before, sure. And he remembers feeling himself die when he was connected to Simon when he shot himself. But he barely understands his own feelings, much less those of others.

Connor does, however, know someone who's been through something similar.

 

Hank  _hates_ talking about his feelings.

With a passion.

Millennial.

Regardless, when Connor reintroduces him to Markus, ambassador and leader of the android rebellion, he doesn't find himself with much of a choice.

No matter how much he hates it.

 

"I loved him," the android says. His hands are folded in front of him. "I didn't always know it, but I did."

"I know."

There are people milling about, mostly admirers of the late painter. Markus ignores them.

"Does it always feel like this?"

"Pretty much."

Who's fucking idea was it to give androids tear ducts, anyway?

"Does it ever get better?"

"Once in a while." He pulls a cigarette out of his suit pocket. "If you can manage to forget they're gone."

"You know androids can't drink."

Hank shrugs as he lights the cigarette.

"That's terrible for you."

"Kiss my ass, Manfred."

He smiles a bit at that. "Sorry. Force of habit."

A non-commital grunt.

"But you haven't been drinking as much."

"You sound like Connor."

"That's because he's the one who pointed it out."

"Of course he did." He takes a long puff and slowly lets it out through his nose. "Asshole."

"He does it because he cares about you."

No response.

Markus turns to look at the older man. "I mean it. You say it gets better if you forget, but you haven't been forgetting lately."

"I really don't need to be psychoanalyzed by a toaster in a dapper suit."

"I prefer to think of myself as a microwave."

Hank snorts.

There's a moment of quiet.

"Connor reminds me of him," he finally says. "Of the man he might've been. He's not a replacement, but . . ." He sighs. "I'unno."

Markus just nods.

"Sumo too."

"Sumo?"

"My dog."

"Ah."

"Before Connor, I pretty much only stayed on this bitch of an earth because I didn't know what would happen to him. Who'd take care of him. I mean, he probably would've gone to the pound. Might've been euthanized." He pulled the cigarette from his lips. "I couldn't let that happen."

Markus isn't sure he's quite that desperate.

(Then again, what is he here for aside from his people? He tried to give his life for them. He would do it again in a heartbeat.)

"I lived to serve him." He tried to keep his voice level. "To take care of him, keep him company."

"You did."

"Did I?"

"If you two were close enough for him to call you his son while he was lying on his deathbed, then I would say that yeah, you did."

Markus doesn't have a response to that.

"You made him proud."

His plastic joints tense.

"Jesus- alright, c'mere."

Markus lets Hank wrap an arm around his shoulders. Eventually, he puts his head down on the other man's shoulder and lets himself cry.

They stay like that for a little while.


End file.
